The present invention relates generally to buttonhole sewing apparatus and more particularly to buttonhole template guides for establishing uniformity in size, spacing and orientation of buttonholes to be sewn onto garments.
Buttonholes have been an integral part of wearing apparel and fashion for decades both for functional fastening applications and for ornamental or decorative applications. In the most common form, a buttonhole comprises a slit in the material through which buttons can be passed from one side of the material to the other, and they are usually characterized by threaded stitching around the perimeter of the slit to inhibit fraying and tearing of the fabric. Even though the principle and form of a buttonhole is quite simple, the stitching is quite difficult to sew uniformly in size, orientation, and overall appearance.
Hand-stitched buttonholes, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 225,381 issued to J. House are certainly functional, but they are very difficult to sew in a neat, uniform manner as well as being extremely time consuming. Industry has developed sophisticated buttonhole stitching machinery for mass production application; however, the amateur seamstress does not have access to such expensive, sophisticated equipment. Several more inexpensive innovations have been made to relieve the amateur seamstress from the tedious and difficult hand-stitching process for making buttonholes, such as, the buttonholing attachment for straight stitch sewing machines which have gained some popularity during the past twenty years. U.S. Pat. No. 2,885,981, issued to Dressler et al is typical of these attachments. These developments were certainly an improvement, and by setting up one's own guideline system on a machine, a seamstress or tailor could approximate the distance from the edge of the garment and set the buttonholes square with the edge. But unless one becomes extremely proficient, it is not uncommon for several buttonholes in a series to be placed slightly out of alignment or unevenly spaced.
The most recent innovation has been the development of the so-called "zig-zag" sewing machines having a plurality of cams built in as integral components of the sewing machine for producing a variety of zig-zag stitches which can be conveniently selected respectively by external controls on the sewing machine. A seamstress can use a combination of zig-zag stitches available on these sewing machines to produce a more professional looking buttonhole stitch, and the flexibility in size and bite is very convenient. U.S. Pat. No. 2,977,913, issued to E. Schenkengel illustrates a typical buttonhole stitched with a zig-zag sewing machine. It includes a bar tack at each end stitched with a larger zig-zag movement having very little forward travel and sideline stitches on each side of the buttonhole sewn with smaller zig-zag stitches having greater forward travel. Nevertheless, even after painstaking effort of measuring, basting, pinning, taping or penciling guidelines, it is quite difficult for a series of buttonholes to be sewn with consistent size, orientation, and appearance.